Technical training to be held in Sikeston

SIKESTON, MO (KAIT) - A training program beginning this month hopes to give veterans as well as laid-off, unemployed or underemployed workers the skills needed to find a job or move up in their field.

Three River's College in Sikeston will hold a Fundamental Industrial Readiness Skills Training, also known as F.I.R.S.T, beginning August 15.

Students will receive certified production technician training along with five production technician credentials.

This program was also developed with those who have recently lost their jobs in mind.

"With the closing of the Noranda plant in Sikeston, we have a lot of people in need of this kind of comprehensive, in-demand skills training," said Dean Whitlow, the MoSTEMWINS grant manager for Three Rivers College. "Thanks to the MoSTEMWINS grant, we're not only able to provide the training, but we can do so at little to no cost to students."

The training will be provided in 8-week sessions with four 12-student cohorts each session.

It will be a combination of computer-based and hands-on training.

Students who complete a F.I.R.S.T session may apply for 18 college credits that could transfer into the Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Technology degree program at the college.

The program is made possible by the MoSTEMWINS grant, which is a Department of Labor workforce-training grant administered by the Missouri Community College Association.

The grant's purpose is to help train Missourians for jobs in transportation, manufacturing, information technology, health services/health sciences, and science support.